Two men sentenced for conspiracy to defraud elderly victims, including in Pangbourne

Two men have been sentenced after being convicted of fraud offences across the Thames Valley – including Pangbourne – in which they impersonated police officers.

They conspired to defraud elderly victims out of thousands of pounds.

In May 2024, they set up a sophisticated fraud, targeting victims in Pangbourne, Reading, Thame, Oxford, Wallingford, Wokingham and Naphill.

They contacted their victims via their landlines and posed as two fictional police officers, Sergeant Anthony Matthews and PC Gary Lambert.

They called victims and asked them to hang up and call 999.

However, the defendants would leave the line open and the victims would then believe they were dialling 999 and speaking to another police officer.

The men then spent hours convincing the vulnerable victims to withdraw cash and hand it over to them under the pretence it would help expose fraud within financial institutions, and other fictional covert operations they claimed to be working on.

One hired two cars, which the defendants used as bases of operations to make calls to victims and avoid detection. They kept multiple chargers in the cars to allow them to call multiple victims.

Between May 9, 2024, and 21 May 21, 2024, the suspects spent 60 hours on the phone to victims, with one victim kept on the phone for eight hours.

Seventeen victims, were targeted in total who were aged 69 and 87 years of age, with a total of £87,000 being requested from them.

Fortunately police intervention meant only £9,000 was actually received by the criminals.

Mohammed Islam, 25, of Wroxhall Road, Dagenham, was sentenced to one year and nine months, at Reading Crown Court on Wednesday, April 23, after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud.

His offending breached a suspended sentence, so a sentence of 10 months’ imprisonment for attempted theft, and a five months’ imprisonment sentence for dangerous driving, were activated.

In total Islam’s sentence will be three years.

Islam has also been made the subject of Serious Crime Prevention Order for five years on release from prison, which restricts how many mobile phones he can own and he has to provide notice if he wants to hire a vehicle.

After a six-day trial, Mahbub Hussain, 25, of Buckle Street, London, was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, after he was convicted by jury of conspiracy to commit fraud.

Officer in the case, Detective Constable Patrycja Lesiakowska said: “The defendants in this case showed a disregard for the wellbeing of the victims, targeting some of the most vulnerable members of our community.

“Their elaborate scheme to impersonate police officers and deceive victims into handing over money was both cruel and calculated.

“This conviction highlights our commitment to bringing such criminals to justice and protecting victims from fraud.

Lead Investigating officer Detective Inspector Duncan Wynn said: “We want to remind the public that neither the police nor your bank will ever ask you for money or request that you withdraw cash as part of an investigation.

“To protect yourself from being a victim of courier fraud, individuals should exercise caution when receiving unsolicited calls or requests for sensitive information.

“It is essential to verify the identity of the caller by independently contacting the purported organisation using official contact information, such as the phone number listed on their website, bank cards or statements.

“Additionally, individuals should refrain from disclosing personal or financial details over the phone and remain sceptical of any requests for immediate action or secrecy.

“There is further information on fraud, scams and how to protect yourself or family members, on our website.”